The Cornish Bird

A slightly different episode this time because I am chatting with the marvellous Keith Wallis, the presenter of the Piskie Trap Podcast, about some of our favourite ghost stories or at least the ones that are interesting us both at the time of recording! How do ghost stories connect to real episodes from history and why are there so many in Cornwall?

Long held beliefs in witchcraft held sway over people's lives in Cornwall for much longer than you might imagine. Even into the 20th century worried folk would consult wise men and women on everything from health issues to lost possessions, this episodes looks at some stories that revolve around the fear of being ill-wished.

In this episode we discover the incredible archaeological dig the tiny hamlet of Saveock Water near Chacewater that has revealed bizarre witchcraft/fertility rituals that have been taking place on that site for hundreds of years.

In my 40th episode I uncover the truth behind the secretive religious sect of Jericho Valley, the Brotherhood of the Essenes, who buried their 'King Dog' there in 1969.

Victorian Britain seems to have been a time particularly prone to unusual fads and crazes. One of these, pedestrianism, seems to have led to 'wheelbarrow mania' - that is lots of men pushing barrows for great distances. Meet the Cornishmen taking part (or trying to take part!) in these bonkers endurance walks across the country.

With so many saints in Cornwall to choose from why is St Piran our patron saint and why do we celebrate him on the 5th March each year?

Up until 1923 a granite cross stood beside the road between Mousehole and Paul. This episode looks into the story behind this monument, sketched by the artist Turner, dedicated to an elderly fishwife called Martha Blewett. Why was it erected in the 1790s? And what were the strange circumstances that led to its removal so many years later?

In 1947 John Edward Allen, the "Mad Parson", escaped from Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital and went on the run. Discover how this convicted murderer ended up working as a waiter in a secluded Cornish hotel and how he then remained at large for almost two years . . .

As we head towards Halloween I explore two of my favourite ghost stories from Cornwall, one from Penzance, which is in many ways more of a murder mystery than a spooky tale, and one from Falmouth which is . . . well, just plain bizarre!

In this episode I take you to one of my favourite places on the Cornish coast, a place of beauty and legend and many mysterious tales.

In 1721 the Royal Anne set sail for the Caribbean loaded with wealthy passengers and crew. Sadly however on 10th November she was wrecked near Lizard Point and in the days that followed hundreds of bodies washed up on the coast near Pistil Cove. Since that time dark tales of the events that followed have kept local people away from the spot. But just how true are these macabre tales? . . .

Near the little village of Crowan is Hangman's Barrow, in this episode I uncover how this prehistoric monument came by this unusual name. But be warning it's a dark tale of murder and the cruel consequences of crime!

In this episode I take a look at what it was like travelling in Cornwall in the past and discover the stories of some local footpads and highwaymen and women! The tale of how Bessie Beneath came by its name is unmissable!!

In June 1734 Henry Rogers took unlawful possession of a house at Skewis, a tiny hamlet near Camborne. It had been his ancestral family home and he barricaded himself and his family inside and despite the efforts of the authorities refused to leave. This event became known as the Siege of Skewis, and in this podcast I detail how and why it came about, the terrible consequences that unfolded and the sad outcome that followed.

There is a beautiful beach in Cornwall known as Mother Ivey's Bay but this idyllic stretch of coast hides a dark secret, the story of a witch and a powerful, ancient curse. And strangely the power of this curse was still being felt up until the 1990s . . .

In the summer of 1837 this seemingly peaceful rural Cornish village erupted into riot, the unrest lasted several days, discover what caused this unusual event.

When Samuel Hockin is found fatally injured in the road near his home in St Mabyn the whole village believes they know who is guilty. But this story will surprise you again and again with the unexpectedly scandalous behaviour of those involved and the outcome of the trial!

This really is one of the strangest and most unusual stories that I have come across in my research. The details are like the plot of a Dickensian novel but everything I tell you in this episode is completely true. Discover the twists and turns of the remarkable life of Sarah Jane Mitchell, a foundling.

Emma Vincent was born into a large family in St Mawes in 1833 but by 1901 she had been committed to Bodmin Asylum as a lunatic, discover why her story has been bothering me for years and what she had hidden under her bed.

If there is one mythical creature that Cornwall is famous for it is its Little People or piskies. This episode looks at two stories of folks being led astray and disappearing into magical realms that have been recorded in Cornish folklore.

For roughly one hundred years there have been strange sightings of a half man, half bird creature close to the church in the small Cornish village of Mawnan Smith.

The small village of Flushing near Falmouth was once known as Nankersey and has a fascinating history, not least its connection to the famous Packet Ships. In 1803 one of those vessels, the Lady Hobart, hit an iceberg 350 miles from the nearest land and what followed is an amazing story of survival.

Sarah Polgrean was hung outside Bodmin Jail in August 1820 for poisoning her husband, but what exactly were the circumstances leading to his death and should she have been executed given the flimsy evidence against her or was her conviction more of a 19th century witch hunt?

In this episode we take a look at a little known aspect of one of the most critical battles in British naval history, this is the story of an encounter between four Cornish fishermen and the Spanish Armada.

Who doesn't love a story about strange things falling from the sky!? Listen to the true tale of an unusual weather event that occurred near Redruth in 1886.

Carved into a smooth rock face of a hidden cave on Crantock beach is the face of a woman and a strange poem . . . discover the story of the artist behind this work and my struggle to uncover the truth behind the legends.

This bizarre story of love, marriage and burnt effigies takes place in the little village of Bugle, deep in Cornwall's Clay Country. Cornish writer Elizabeth Dale tells one of the strangest stories she has come across in all her years researching Cornwall's history.

In this episode I tell the story of Tryphena Pendarves and look into the stories that her ghost haunts Treslothan Church and the nearby Pendarves woods. I also tell my own spooky experience with this place . . .

The people of Cornwall held on to their belief in witchcraft, charms and fortune telling well into the 20th century. One man, John Roberts, known as Jan Taddy, was thought to be a white witch and was charged and imprisoned for telling fortunes in 1903. But given that many of his clientele appear to have been wealthy women, is there more to this story than meets the eye.

Within just a few months of each other two murders occurred close to Bodmin in the mid-19th century. The circumstances of both were strangely similar but for some reason one became a familiar part of our Cornish heritage, a tale told and retold, while the other was almost entirely forgotten . . . until now.

In this episode we discover the fate of Thomas Prockter Ching, what happened to him and his companions when their ship the Charles Eaton was wrecked near the Torres Straits in 1834.

Discover the story of a Cornish woman from very humble beginnings who was whisked away from Cornwall at a young age, was widowed three times and became enormously wealthy but never forgot her roots . . . 

This interview was recorded in 2016 shortly before Bart passed away. We talk about his amazing life, dowsing, earth energies, making clouds appear and disappear and the Great Train Robbery amongst many other things. This is a longer recording than usual, so make a cuppa, sit back and relax or maybe take us on a walk with you, whatever you do please enjoy!

This episode takes us back to the late 17th century and the village of St Keverne on the Lizard where we go on an unexpected and rather dangerous journey with a Cornishman called John Sandys.

A spooky story for you this time . . .

Discover the stories behind some amazing precious objects from across the globe that have close connections to Cornwall!

In this episode we talk about some real mermaid sightings near Newquay and that time that Sir Humphrey Davy went skinny dipping and caused a bit of a fiasco! 

In the 19th century half a million Cornish left their native home and travelled across the globe in search of work and a new life. This episode follows the story of two of them and what befell them in the deserts of Arizona and the Wild West town of Tombstone.

In this episode I talk about how small objects can still have big stories to tell and how a little item in Falmouth's Maritime Museum took me on a historical adventure across Europe.

In this episode we discover a few of Cornwall's logan rocks, and some of the history, myths and legends associated with these wobbly stones . . . 

In this episode I take a look at the ordinary, and yet extra-ordinary, life of Hannah Jory, also known as Hannah the Sweep, who lived in Truro in the 1840s. 

In this episode I talk about why I write about Cornwall, the influence my father has had on me, my love of prehistory and his passion for massive bits of granite . . .

My first podcast takes a look at the history of Temple Church from the mysterious Knights Templar who founded it, to it's reputation as the Cornish Gretna Green . . .